I have been craving their food, it is so delicious! Loved the Mural they have and the atmosphere there. Very nice staff and they greet everyone with a smile I definitely recommend this place and would love to visit them again and have their delicious food again read more

Ayat NYC - Fattat Lahma - Arabic Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Lots of my friends recommend this place to me, so finally went to check it out. The stuff were very nice, helpful. I like the decor & the vibe. The food was great . I ordered lemon mint drink , mixed shawarma , hot mint tea & one chicken item which I gotta look up the nameI forgot sorry..! My favorite was the shawarma It was huge so for that the price was ok. Otherwise the price is little higher! The restroom was clean, the restaurant is small so they have areas which is cluttered & don't look so good . It's just takes away from this beautiful vibe ! Thank u for the service! read more

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Authentic, Flavorful, and Welcoming! Ayat in Bay Ridge is hands down one of the best Middle Eastern restaurants I've been to in NYC. From the moment you walk in, the atmosphere is warm and inviting, with beautiful decor that makes you feel like you've stepped into a cozy spot in the Levant. The food? Absolutely incredible. Every dish is packed with flavor and clearly made with love and tradition. The hummus was silky smooth, the falafel perfectly crispy, and the musakhan--unreal! You can taste the authenticity in every bite. Portions are generous, and the presentation is on point. The service was friendly and attentive without being overbearing. The staff made us feel right at home and were happy to make recommendations. If you're looking for a spot with soul, culture, and mouthwatering dishes, Ayat in Bay Ridge is a must-visit. Can't wait to come back! read more

Really good food that has options for both meat eaters and vegetarians. Do check your order before you leave we, ordered the spinach filled pie but it was meat. We liked it but it was for our vegans in the family. The stuffed squash, kibbeh, za'atar manaqish and cheese manaqish, muhammarh, ikras bi lahma, cucumber salad, chicken kabobs, mixed shawarma and falafel plates. Service was good, food was ready when we arrived and we'd definitely order again. Prices were fair and the portions were generous! read more

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Overall would recommend. Really nice place with cute homey decor. The staff is very nice and attentive. They have lots of options on the menu. I got the pressed araby beef sandwich, which was good overall especially with the tahini sauce, but the beef did have a stronger meaty taste and those who prefer strong flavors would likely consider it to be not very flavorful. I loved the presentation of the food and portion sizes. friend got the pizza shawarma fusion, which had a tasty flavor from the cheese although she similarly would've liked a stronger flavor in the beef. Overall would recommend, but probably better suits those who prefer more mild or subtler flavors. read more

Ayat NYC - Araby Beef Shaw - Arabic Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

This was my first time at this restaurant. The service was very fast. We came here to break our fast. The mansaf was really good. However I felt like the fetat Lehma tasted kind of dry, there was no yogurt in it and it had rice and shawarma meet. I loved that the core around the restaurant. Also, the mint lemonade was so delicious. I also really like the hummus and baba ghanoush. The restaurant was pretty busy, but the seating was comfortable and there was outdoor seating. Next time I come, I will try the mixed grill. The serving sizes are really large, can honestly share a plate with four people. read more

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- I like the order and pay first - tasty lemonade - large portions - delicious coffee - menu as not as expansive as that on cortelyou - lots of locals eating their own ethnic food so u know it was authentic - great hummus - great lentil soup - the steak junks are fantastic - steak kebaps were good - service with a smile - small in stature, whole restaurant might be cold if the door stays open too long read more

Love Middle Eastern food more than anything, however, today I decided to give chicken a rest and order the lamb kabob. Complete gristle. Could not get my teeth through one piece of meat. Ultimately led to spitting each piece into a napkin. Clearly, I tried. It was a $33 dollar meal, for a truly inferior cut of meat. Hope they can turn things around. read more

I have never tried Palestinian food and was so excited to eat here! I ordered the chicken shawarma platter and it was amaaazing! There was so much food that I was so stuffed & skipped dinner. The foods were so fresh and well seasoned. The chicken shawarma was moist, tender and nicely seasoned. Love their salad, babaganoush & hummus! My friends ordered the mixed grill shawarma and they enjoyed it very much! The coffee was strong but good. Staff was very sweet and friendly. Food came out beautifully presented. Loved the decor and artwork. Highly recommended! *You go to the back area where you see the sign "order here" and make your order and pay there. They then give you a number. Find a table to sit & enjoy the atmosphere and food when it comes! read more

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I was impressed with the authentic Middle Eastern fare. The most tender and juicy chicken kebab I've ever had. Beautiful ambiance and friendly staff. read more

Ayat NYC - Arabic Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Delicious food, coffee and teas! Staff was so friendly and welcoming. The Brooklyn location was amazing murals inside. Free Palestine! Would 100% come back. read more

Ayat NYC - Arabic Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Beautiful little Palestinian spot in the heart of Bay Ridge. We were seated under an olive tree, eating the most pillowy soft pita! Mezze platter was perfect. Saw big hype about the cheesy Pizzawarma on TikTok (maybe Bushwick location) but it fell a little short for me. Still a great meal. Service was sparse but great for a leisurely dinner. read more

Ayat NYC - Mezze platter, cheese cigars, stuffed squash - Arabic Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Honestly I feel so bad writing this because I've loved Ayat and their food before but the service was SO horrible tonight I was shocked sitting there. The restaurant should hire true professionals, not high school girls. I feel like the front brunette girl is ditzy and clueless, she didn't take our order until 20 minutes of sitting, we had to literally flag her down to take our order. The red head girls kept being on their phone? The food took FOREVER to come where others who sat after us received it before however I assume it's probably because we ordered makloubeh so it would take a while to make which is totally understandable so l appreciate the cook for taking the time. However the two young girls, one redhead and brunette who served us had us questioning why they were even hired? Literally kept forgetting us and we had to ask for the bill twice in the end because the brunette girl kept forgetting. My thing is it wasn't even busy? I would've understood otherwise but these girls were genuinely careless. Service aside the food was actually good! I really liked the spicy kefta kabab. Super flavorful the meat and rice. The makloubeh was a bit disappointing, I've had it before from here and LOVED it but this time the chicken felt sooo dry. I'd probably get something else next time. I'm super upset about my visit to Ayat tonight because I genuinely wanted to love it as a local and patron that has visited before but the service left me so horrified I think l'd opt for the to go option instead across the street or just opt for better Arab establishments with better service in the area to be honest :( read more

Ayat NYC - Spicy Kefta Small - Arabic Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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I'm hooked - like addicted to this restaurant I absolutely love the vibe, the food, the service and everything. I think I can eat here everyday. I usually start with their mezze filistini and then pick like a few entrees (can't go wrong with any) and I'll have like 2 mint lemonades . Their portion sizes are huge and very worth the money. I don't ever feel bad spending here. read more

Ayat has been one of my favorite restaurants for a long time. The food is usually wonderful, as is the service. Until today. We were in Bay Ridge and decided to grab a quick bite while we ran errands: 4 pieces of kibbeh and 4 spinach pies (we weren't planning on finishing everything). My wife went into the empty takeout location and the staffer told her 15 minutes. At that time, she went in and it wasn't ready. She went in a few more times, every 5 minutes, until we really had to leave. We were left in the restaurant alone, with no explanation or update until about 25 minutes or 30 minutes in, when we were told they were waiting on one spinach pie. The cashier then walked out again, not even offering us the chance to say anything. I would've told her to forget it and just give us what was ready. A few minutes later, we began to walk across the street to the main restaurant, to try to get a refund for everything. The cashier appeared with our bag and gave it to us with no apology for the delay. The spinach pies were good, but burnt. We've always had a wonderful experience dining in at Ayat, but the customer service was definitely wanting today. This is a restaurant I want to support, so I hope they read this and address the issue. read more

Ayat NYC - Spinach pies; tasty but burnt, and took way too long. - Arabic Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Picked up a to-go order from the little barren location across the street from the dine-in venue. The young woman who took my order was super polite and patient- seamless ordering experience. She said my food would be ready in 10 min- was ready in about 10 min. Great timing. Now, on to the actual food. Zahir (sm) cauliflower - 10/10. Amazing delicious. Hummus (sm) - 4/10 not very tasty. Slightly smoky but Cheese manaqish - 1/10. She charged me for the cheese but lo and behold it was the regular zaatar one. In not going back there to exchange it. $9 for zaatar on bread is wild. Chicken kefta (sm) 4/10 - it's a large dish- with an overpowering amount of rice, salad, that same hummus, and the kefta itself was suuuuper dry. One kefta for all that rice? Come on fam. $50 for this to take out is absurd. I would try a dine in perhaps and would update but this is where it currently stands. read more

My visit here was memorable. The servings will satisfy hunger without painful prices. The cuisine here represents top-tier restaurant quality. Employees assist, stay grounded, and remain true. I'm planning to return to sample different menu items. read more

Maybe if they focused more on the food and service, not political statements, this place would be worth coming back to.

I can't stop telling people how much I enjoy eating here. The spot features a distinctive, enjoyable atmosphere. The taste of everything was remarkable. The staff's customer focus is the real draw here. I'm genuinely eager to experience it again. read more

I had been meaning to dine here for a while. What I didn't know is that it's super casual and you order at the register, then they bring you your food with paper plates and plastic utensils. I didn't care, food was great. This is about as authentic as you can get for Palestinian food. My family was the only non-Palestinian table there. That's when you know it's legit. Portions are massive. MASSIVE. And considering their size, very well-priced too. It's also cool to see them making fresh pita behind the counter. To start we had the mezze filistini (sampler). So good. My favorite was the labneh. Then as entrees we shared the fattat lahma (the description says it's for two. Can easily feed three and it's $25 which is a STEAL), the keftah bi tahina (it's supposed to serve one but can also feed two), and the lamb chops (large). Fattat was the best, lamb chops were the weakest but by no means bad. I took a star off for the service. When they served us food, they didn't bring any plates or utensils. We had to ask twice for them. Also, we ordered two keftah bi tahini dishes but they only brought out one. It ended up being fine since the portions were so big. read more

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Causal Palestinian restaurant by the same owner as the restaurant Al Badawi. We had lamb chops and mansaf (lamb shank) which were both good. The lamb chops were delicious but a regular size comes with only three pieces. The prices are a bit on the expensive side but the portions (minus the lamb chops) are huge. The mansaf came with three large chunks of lamb. They were very tender. Flavoring was ok but still had that strong lamb smell. read more

Ayat NYC - Lamb chops - Arabic Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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The food here is excellent--if you know what to order. Our first visit years ago left a disappointing impression. After placing our order with the owner while seated outside, our meal was mistakenly packed to-go instead of being served at the table. After waiting 30 minutes with no food, we checked on our order and were handed it in takeout containers, leaving us with no choice but to eat it that way. Fast forward to today, and we decided to give the restaurant another chance, this time dining inside at their second location across the street. The experience was much better. The food was fantastic--we ordered the seven-layer chicken dish, and I'm still thinking about it! The wraps were also incredibly flavorful and well-prepared. I'm not certain if they serve alcoholic beverages, but I highly doubt it. However, this spot is definitely worth a visit, and I'm sure they could craft a delicious mocktail for those looking for a refreshing drink option. read more

Grade A Palestinian at Ayat. Arrived half an hour after dusk during the holy month of Ramadan and the atmosphere was electric. All seats were occupied and tables were placed fairly tight together. Chatter filled the warm smoke infused air. One could have simply observed the menu based on the orders of surrounding patrons. The lamb kebab was on the drier side, but still enjoyable. The rice, hummus, baba ghanoush and salata complimented the dish very well. Perhaps a minor gripe was that the bread could have been warmer. Service was kind, although the dining room staff seemed timid. Ordered at the cashier and the items were served in a reasonable amount of time despite quite a few orders waiting at the door. Decent value for the amount paid, the large plate was good for sharing with a fellow diner. Tipping was optional although there was a service charge included on the check. If you're in a festive mood and looking for good vibes, I would give Ayat a try. read more

Ayat NYC - Arabic Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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I ordered from here for the first through Uber Eats, and let me just say, the food is AMAZING! It not only arrived at my doorstep early, it came in a gorgeous floral paper bag and was packed with care. The falafel is so flavorful and moist, and the rice is well-seasoned and also very flavorful. I ordered the dolmas as well, which came with six pieces. They were warm and fresh and like everything else, also delicious! May have only gotten delivery but I will DEFINITELY be buying from here again! read more

Ayat NYC - Falafel platter - Arabic Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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One of the best meals I have had in a long time, the food was SO delicious! I got the vegan platter, and oh. my. GOSH! Everything was so incredibly flavorful, I especially loved the cauliflower and the eggplant with tahini and pomegranate molasses. The pita was nice and fluffy and fresh, the falafel were crispy and tasty, the grape leaves were briney and to die for...everything we ate was insane. Service is alright, very friendly, but you have to order at the register which is a little annoying. I also didn't like how they did not serve tap water, and you had to buy bottled drinks. Not a fancy place, and that's totally okay by me, though I'll say there was a bit of a mismatch between the ambiance and the prices. Overall I really enjoyed this meal, and I will definitely be making a special trip to return, salivating just thinking about it. read more

Ayat NYC - Ambiance - Arabic Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Giving this 3 stars. Might be that we paid for water and didn't receive our bottles till an hour later. Might be that we ordered our food at 7:50pm and didn't get our meals till after 8:30pm (yes, I'm fully aware it was the last day of Ramadan but then again, no dates were given to break our fast, no water (which we had to pay for when NYC tap is free), no table bread..). The customer service needs to be extremely sorted out because this just wasn't it. I understand the place is small and it was a hectic time to eat but really? Not even anyone to walk around and just check up on patrons? Anyways, the food was actually really good and the only reason I'm giving 3 stars. It was so delicious and the portions were huge. I loved the mural in the back and the ethnic plates the dishes came in. I'm an avid supporter of Palestine and definitely loved the vibe of the restaurant and how intimate it felt. I definitely think the layout needs to be changed because the patrons are just left hangry and confused when there's plenty of servers walking around but no one checking up on them. Food is absolutely delicious though. Lesson learned though: don't come here for Ramadan and if you do, expect long wait times. read more

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Food: 5/5 Service: Casual Eatery Ambiance: Casual indoor and outdoor seating The murals inside are gorgeous. And the menu is so unique and tastefully mentions the occupation. The Fattet Jaj was my absolute favorite! Super flavorful rice. And the Muhammarah was so delish. I'm going to try to visit a second time this week! read more

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The flavors here go beyond what most places can create. I'm completely addicted to this restaurant! Great dishes and attentive service left us completely satisfied. Every worker shows genuine hospitality. The experience felt special to our group. read more

Ayat is one of my favorite spots in Bay Ridge, and I think we've ordered from there more than any other place in this area over the past year. The people are friendly, the atmosphere is welcoming, the Palestinian cuisine is delicious, and the prices are reasonable. Everything we've gotten there has been fantastic, and even though we've ordered from there a lot, there are still so many things that sound great that we've yet to try. Our most frequently ordered items are the cheese oven pie and the beef oven pie, which are our pizza-loving toddler's favorites. I'm also a big fan of the kousa mahshi (stuffed squash), kibbeh, ikras bi sabanikh (spinach pie), and fattat hummus with chicken. The dips and spreads are wonderful (I love the baba ghanoush), and one of these days when we eat there in person instead of just takeout and delivery, I'm looking forward to indulging in the mezze platter. Can't wait to try more soon! read more

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My friend tells me there is usually trash spilling out of bags on the sidewalk. She ate there and found non-food particles in her meal. When it was brought to the restaurant's attention, they asked her to leave. After reading that the NYC Health Department has closed them down for many filthy violations, I'm not surprised. I haven't eaten there, and from what she has told me, I never will. read more

Wow! where do I start? As I sit here writing this review, I am devouring my platter from Ayat. I've ordered food from Ayat several times and its ALWAYS fresh & delicious. Their portion sizes are super generous especially for the price. At this point I'm starting to think they put Crack in their food (That's how addictive it is) The Mix Shawarma Platter has become my TOP favorite dishes of all time. The platter comes with a piece of pita, thinly sliced up beef & chicken, yellow rice, salad(cucumbers + tomato), babagannoush (probably spelled it wrong) and hummus. All the flavors just pair so wonderfully together. Makes me want to hug the Chef (In the most respectful Way ever) I promise! You can tell that the chefs at this restaurant cook with so much love. I genuinely enjoy their food so much. I wanna run and tell everyone to order from this establishment because I can & I will. SUPER DUPER recommendable. I will also make it my goal to actually stop in here and dine in at this restaurant. (Since I'm always ordering out) See you soon and many more times Ayat. A+++++ read more

Ayat NYC - Heaven - Thats what I will call this plate of food. - Arabic Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

My journey to Palestinian cuisine! The restaurant was esthetically pleasing to the eye, they offer indoor and outdoor seats. The staff were very sweet. Everything we ordered was quite delicious. My favorites were the Fattat Jaj and Mint tea! While the food is very good, it's very carb forward lol. I was very bloated for the rest of the day. They didn't have much of a dessert menu. That would've been interesting. Overall, I would recommend this place. I was very impressed read more

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Food, staff, and environment was exquisite! I honestly couldn't ask for better. They got their Palestinian food down to a science, and I crave more every day read more

Despite all the good reviews, our meal wasn't very good. Overcooked, not fresh, not recommended. Do better

Food delicious. Service kind & professional great music. Nice ambiance. Pretty location. Great selection. read more

Ayat NYC - I love what the bag says Jewish Muslim Christian Whatever your belief is We are all Human And we love you - Arabic Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I was here around a month ago with 5 others after hearing of the glowing reviews. In short, the place is just as good if not better than what is listed here and quite authentic with the only things I wasn't particularly a fan of being the salads though more because everything else was amazing. We sat outside which is fine as they have heaters (the inside was super crowded regardless of Covid and there was no room otherwise.) They also opened a second location in Brooklyn Heights called Albadawi (soon to be reviewed as well) https://www.yelp.com/biz/albadawi-brooklyn . The latter is larger and the people are nicer but some dishes were better here. The service was alright. Quite slow though expected with the amount of food. Appetizers: Mezze Filistini: Hummus (chickpeas,) baba ghanoush (eggplant,) muhammarah (walnut/red pepper,) tabbouleh (green salad,) salata tahina, (chopped vegetables with tahini/sesame paste) and labneh (yogurt) with olive oil in the middle This was a massive mix of appetizers and well worth it for the price. Most of them were above average to excellent with particular note to the very good hummus and muhammarah which was less spicy than usual but with a wonderful secondary flavor from the red pepper. The salata tahina was new to me and tasty while the tabbouleh was the only alright one which almost makes sense as the only other thing I somewhat disliked was another salad (more on that later.) There was some pickled radish separating them which was a nice touch. There was some fresh bread to eat it with though it took a while for the bread to come out (not really an issue as the mezze are cold.) Zahir: Fried cauliflower served on a bed of tahini with pomegranate molasses This was fantastic and I highly recommend it. The cauliflower was roasted perfectly and the tahini blend with the pomegranate molasses added a wonderful savory and sour mix. Honestly one of the best cauliflower dishes I've had and our entire table devoured them. Za'atar manaqish: Flatbread topped with a Middle Eastern spice blend As with their other breads, the manaqish/flatbread was good. Nothing much to complain about. Just a big portion just like everything else with pieces helping to finish the mezze as we ran out of bread otherwise. Fattoush: Salad with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and mint with baked pita chips and dressing (pomegranate I believe due to the color and it being sour.) The ingredients were very fresh and the pita added some nice crunch. I found the dressing to be primarily on the chips so the salad was a little bit bland though I am not personally a big fan of fattoush to begin with so take that with a grain of salt. Mains: Fattat Lahma, a six layer dish with mixed meat, rice, chickpeas, garlic tahini, crispy pita, sliced almonds, and mint. The mixed meat/shawarma was perfectly roasted and very tasty and the spiced rice added some wonderful flavors along with the tahini while the almonds added good crunch. Overall we finished most of it though this is more since we ran out of room. We also got the Fattat Jaj which was the same but with chicken which was also quite good. Mansaf: Bone-in lamb over saj bread with rice and slivered almonds and served with a fermented yogurt sauce. This was probably the most unique dish of the day. The lamb was very tender though some pieces had perhaps a bit too much fat and the rice was uniquely spiced compared to the other dishes though I preferred the spice blend from the fattat. The fermented yogurt sauce added nice extra sour flavor which wasn't present in the other meat dishes and was a nice accompaniment. 7. Kofta Mashawy: Meatballs/Kofta with rice, hummus, baba ghanoush, and salat. As per the other dishes, the meat was cooked perfectly. This was also a good dish though I prefer Kofta preparations in terms of spices from the other surrounding regions. It's not that this was bad in anyway but it's just preference. Shay ma nana: Mint tea We ordered this with the rest of the meal but it came out afterwards so I guess they meant it to be a digestif. The tea was fine though less minty than other places and it was a nice sized pot and the table enjoyed it though I probably should have gone with the limonana instead. Overall the place is fantastic outside of the slight issues with service, I highly recommend it though I'll probably not go back as long as their closer location is open. I find the people nicer at the other place also (though the latter also feels more like a sit-down spot) but there's really not much wrong with this wonderful spot. 4.6 or so. Albadawi review coming soon. read more

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Damn this meal was delicious and I'm already plotting my next return. Located conveniently off the R train, step into Ayat and be blessed with a delicious meal made with fresh ingredients. Everything was incredibly flavorful and the staff working there was so friendly. We got there around 5, and there wasn't anyone else there so it felt totally fine to eat without a mask on. By the end of the meal it was PACKED (as it should be). Don't miss the sampler platter (including maybe the best hummus I've had in years) and the eggplant with tahini. They also have plenty of vegan options. Didn't give five stars because make weren't being worn by the staff and vaccination cards weren't checked. read more

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I loved this restaurant's ambiance and decor, they really highlight and embrace Palestinian culture. The service can be slow at times if it's really busy, but the waiters are really nice. Food is as best as you can get Palestinian food in the states. Fresh and flavorful, you can tell they really put their heart in the recipes. Alot of the breads are made fresh and warm. The appetizers are really smooth and bright. The meat dishes are thoroughly cooked and tender. The lamb doesnt have the funky taste some places have. The kofta with tahini was very delicious. Very big menu, I can't wait to try the rest of the food. read more

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I loved everything about our visit to Ayat! The food, the service, the atmosphere - all just wonderful! I cannot wait to go back! read more

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A lovely spread for brunch with generous portions and memorable flavors. Our favorites were the freshly-baked ka'ek bread, dipped in olive oil and a bowl of zaatar mixed with sumac; the fresh hummus with a healthy sprinkling of olive oil; and the egg-potato mixture. The crispy falafel and fried cauliflower were also very good. If there was any disappointment in the meal, it was the labneh, which was good but not remarkable, and the grapes, which we had assumed would be shorthand for grape leaves but were, in fact, grapes. read more

Ayat NYC - Ka'ak and zaatar - Arabic Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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